Growing Chefs - London Ontario

It's another post of the official Culinary Camp summer blog!  

Every day our eager young chefs will be sharing their reflections on the day’s cooking experience. You will also see the menus that left us smacking our lips and licking our plates.

Come join us in the kitchen!

DAY THREE

The fearless and unflinching adventurers continue their quest. Today they will quench their thirst as they swim in lagoons of tropical watermelon soda. On the shore they will feast on butternut squash mac n' cheese and spaghetti, drenched in sauce, meatballs and deliciousness.

THE MENU

Snack

Watermelon Soda

• 3 cups chopped watermelon
• juice of two lemons
• soda
• sprig of fresh mint
• simple syrup (1/3 cup sugar & 1/2 cup water) (with an added knob of ginger while cooking)

Veggie Crudite 

• Broccoli, cauliflower, & beans - blanched
• Cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers

Lemon & Garlic Scape Aioli Dip

• 1 1/4 cup oil
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 garlic scape, minced
• juice & zest of one lemon
• salt & pepper to taste

Lunch

Butternut Squash Mac n' Cheese 

• 1-2 small butternut squash, peeled & cut into small cubes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1lb macaroni
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• fresh parsley, chopped 
• knob butter

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Blend contents of saucepan; stir in cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Whisk in cheddar cheese and parmesan. Cook macaroni in a seperate pot until desired tenderness. Drain, and stir into sauce. Transfer to a lightly oiled baking dish. In a small bowl, combine panko, remaining parmesan, and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture. Bake until panko is golden brown.

Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce & Meatballs

Sauce:

• 1 chopped onion
• 3-4 minced garlic cloves
• 2L can crushed tomatoes
• fresh basil & oregano
• salt & pepper (& sugar depending on the brand of tomatoes) to taste

Meatballs:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• chopped fresh herbs to taste (we used oregano, basil & thyme)
• 1 egg
• panko
• salt & pepper